Sony A5100 Official with Quicker Autofocus

Can compact mirrorless cameras get any better? Sony seems to think so as it has just released the latest in its gradually evolving line of compact mirrorless cameras. Call it the Sony A5100, an ultra-compact, autofocus enabled interchangeable lens shooter that Sony claims is “among the smallest and lightest interchangeable lens cameras in market today.”

Autofocus is the key here, and Sony claims it is improved over the A5100 predecessor, the A5000. The A5100 incorporates the Fast Hybrid AF system of Sony’s existing A6000 model, which delivers semi-supersonic autofocus timed at 0.07 seconds. An autofocus coverage area of 179 focal points enables the camera to capture both still images and full HD video of moving objects. The camera comes with an LCD touch screen that enables users to focus on objects in a single tap. The high-res LCD screen is also tiltable at a full 180 degrees.

Borrowing further from the guts of the aforementioned A6000, the new A5100 also includes a 24.3 megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ X processor. The camera records full HD video in two formats: AVCHD and XAVC S. Simultaneous dual video recording gives the user the ability to capture full HD and MP4-format. The latter can be used for quick sharing or uploading using built-in Wi-Fi, which is compatible with NFC-compatible Android smartphones or tablets, as well as Sony Xperia mobile devices.

Sony will make the A5100 available for purchase in September in two colors, black or white, starting at $550 for the stripped down version or $700 complete with a 16-50mm motorized zoom lens (model SELP1650).